Registration of e-scooters to be made mandatory from second half of 2018

Other personal mobility devices such as electric hover boards and unicycles will not need to be registered due to their less widespread use and their lower speeds, says Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min.

A man riding an e-scooter at NTU. (Photo: Olivia Siong)

SINGAPORE: All e-scooter owners will soon have to register with the Land Transport Authority (LTA), as well as have identification stickers pasted prominently on their devices, Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min announced on Wednesday (Mar 7).

Speaking at the ministry’s Committee of Supply debate, Dr Lam said the Government has decided to accept the Active Mobility Advisory Panel’s recommendation to mandate the registration of e-scooters.

“Registering e-scooters will help deter reckless behaviour, accord more responsibility to the users, and facilitate enforcement officers in tracking down errant users,” he said.

Since May 2016, LTA has issued more than 3,000 advisories to personal mobility device users, including e-scooter users, for unsafe riding on pedestrian paths.

The registration regime will be implemented by the end of the year, and the process will be kept as simple and low-cost as possible, Dr Lam added.

In a separate news release, LTA said the registration regime will take effect in the second half of the year and that more details will be announced when ready.

Owners will also have to ensure that their e-scooter does not exceed 20kg in weight, is not wider than 700mm and has a maximum speed of 25kmh under the Active Mobility Act, which will be reviewed to allow for the registration regime.

The registration regime will not apply to other personal mobility devices such as electric hover boards and unicycles due to their less widespread use and their lower speeds.

LTA will monitor the situation and assess if further action is needed moving forward.

Dr Lam said the Active Mobility Advisory Panel will also take a deeper look at the rules on active mobility.

The panel will look into issues such as reviewing the speed limit on footpaths, and the insurance and compensation framework which some MPs have suggested. It will weigh the need for these initiatives against the impact on the large majority of responsible users, and take into account the practices in other jurisdictions, he said.

It will publish its recommendations by the end of the year.

“Our tough stance targets the minority of reckless users to deter bad behaviour. It should not discourage the majority of responsible and considerate users from enjoying the benefits of active mobility,” Dr Lam said.